EXPLANATION: Underlining indicates matter added by amendment.
Strike out indicates matter stricken by amendment.
CITY OF BALTIMORE
RESOLUTION
Council Bill 09-0433
Introduced by: Councilmembers Clarke, Henry, Middleton, Branch, Kraft, Young, Conaway,
Holton, Reisinger, Cole, Welch, Curran
Introduced and read first time: December 10, 2009
Assigned to: Community Development Subcommittee
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Council action: Adopted
Read second time: November 8, 2010
A RESOLUTION OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL CONCERNING
1 Street and Transportation Projects – Complete Streets
2 FOR the purpose of directing the Departments of Transportation and Planning to apply
3 “Complete Streets” principals principles to the planning, design, and construction of all new
4 City transportation improvement projects; providing certain exceptions; requiring annual
5 reports on the implementation of “Complete Streets” principals principles; and generally
6 relating to transportation improvement projects.
7 Recitals
8 Baltimore’s streets provide the critical framework for current and future development while
9 playing a major role in establishing the image and identity of the City. Recognizing this, City
10 planners and transportation officials have made consistent efforts to improve the streetscape and
11 make the City’s transportation network responsive to the changing needs of our citizens. These
12 efforts have included an expanded focus on measures to make streets more accessible to
13 bicyclists and pedestrians.
14 While these efforts have borne fruit, allowing Baltimore to rank above many southern and
15 western cities in pedestrian safety, a recent study showed that Baltimore was still more
16 dangerous for pedestrians than many peer cities in the Northeast and Midwest. Maryland as a
17 whole also ranks near the bottom in spending on street accommodations for cyclists and
18 pedestrians.
19 In recognition of the fact that any effort to create more liveable neighborhoods in Baltimore
20 must include further improvements to the streets that are such a critical component of public
21 space, a more systematic approach to inviting all people to make use of the streets must be
22 adopted. “Complete Streets” principals principles require that the needs of pedestrians,
23 bicyclists, transit riders, and people of all abilities, as well as freight and motor vehicle users, be
24 taken into account when designing and implementing changes to transportation networks. The
25 systematic application of these principals to all transportation projects would create a
26 comprehensive framework to open up all streets to the full range of diverse users present in
27 Baltimore, by encouraging walking, bicycling, and transit use while promoting safety safe and
28 contiguous routes for all street users.
1 Adoption of a “Complete Streets” philosophy for transportation projects is especially
2 advantageous in an urban area such as Baltimore where many people do not have regular access
3 to a car. Ensuring that the needs of all citizens are met by applying “Complete Streets”
4 principals principles across the board will improve access to communities throughout Baltimore,
5 make the City more liveable, encourage healthy behaviors, and reduce negative environmental
6 impacts city-wide.
7 SECTION 1. BE IT RESOLVED BY THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF BALTIMORE, That the
8 Department of Transportation and the Department of Planning are directed to plan for, design,
9 and construct all new City transportation improvement projects to provide appropriate
10 accommodations for pedestrians, bicyclists, transit riders, motorists, and persons of all abilities,
11 while promoting safe operation for all users. This can be accomplished through the
12 incorporation of construction elements such as special bus lanes, transit stops, improved
13 pedestrian street crossings, median islands, accessible pedestrian signals, curb extensions,
14 sidewalks, ADA compliant ramps, and bike lanes.
15 SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Department of Transportation is
16 directed to incorporate Complete Streets principals principles, as applicable and subject to State
17 and federal laws and regulations, into all Department plans, manuals, rules, regulations, and
18 programs.
19 SECTION 3. AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the application of Complete Streets
20 principals principles may be waived for a specific project if the Director of Transportation issues
21 a documented exception concluding that application of Complete Streets principals principles
22 would be contrary to public safety.
23 SECTION 4. AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That Complete Streets may be achieved
24 through single projects or incrementally through a series of smaller improvements over time. It
25 is the Mayor and City Council’s intent that all sources of transportation funding be drawn on to
26 implement Complete Streets.
27 SECTION 5. AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That the Department of Transportation is
28 directed to report to the Mayor and City Council annually, on the anniversary of the effective
29 date of this Resolution, on the Department’s progress towards implementing Complete Streets
30 throughout Baltimore. These reports must incorporate performance measures established to
31 gauge how well streets are serving all users and include information such as crash data, uses of
32 new projects by mode, complaints, the linear feet of sidewalk built, the number of ADA
33 compliant ramps built, how many miles of bike lanes have been created, the number of
34 exemptions from the application of Complete Streets principles that have been granted, and the
35 number of, and yearly change in, overall paved lane miles.
36 SECTION 6. AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That this Resolution takes effect on the 30th
37 day after the date it is enacted.
Certified as duly passed this _____ day of ________, 20___
_____________________________________
President, Baltimore City Council
Certified as duly delivered to Her Honor, the Mayor,
this _____ day of ________, 20___
_____________________________________
Chief Clerk
Approved this _____ day of ________, 20___
_____________________________________
Mayor, Baltimore City